


In Progress

by gullapip, Murf1307



Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Jurassic World Fusion, F/F, F/M, M/M, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, attempted murder and corporate espionage and all that, matty shows up but later, patricia thornton has a secret wife and no one can convince me otherwise, shit starts to get real in a chapter or two, these raptors are unrepentantly just giant sharp dogs, warning super fluff in the beginning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-10-07 16:13:29
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10364430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gullapip/pseuds/gullapip, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Murf1307/pseuds/Murf1307
Summary: "You're gonna do fine, " Bozer assures him.  "You're the young, sexy ex-military bomb tech and he's a retired Delta who raises dinosaurs for a living -- the two of you are practically a romance novel waiting to happen."





	1. Plan A

**Author's Note:**

> fun fact about me: i train animals for a living and i study behavior and human-animal interactions, so i kept the clicker training which is accurate and great but ditched the bullshit alpha/dominance theory language, also, i'm probably way more attached to fictional dinosaurs than i should be

As much as Jack  _ loves  _ these sharp, squawking little shits he's raised from eggs, he misses the mainland sometimes. He misses his family sometimes too- was never one to have a whole mess of friends, so that wasn't hard- but, if there was one person he's been itching to see for far too long, it was Angus Macgyver. His awful crush on the man notwithstanding, they’d become fast friends after meeting- hell, he'd bent or outright broken military rules many,  _ many  _ times just to help Mac out, and Jack didn't regret a damn thing. And sure, email is a fantastic little invention, but once he'd gotten a taste of hanging around together, it really wasn't something you could replicate. So when Mac  _ finally  _ finished his last tour and  _ finally  _ took Jack up on a visit out to the park, he could've literally cheered with joy. Maybe he kind of did, but no one else needed to know that.

 

-

 

But Mac, Mac wasn't a huge fan of isolation, to be honest, which might've been an excuse he'd used to avoid visiting Jurassic World. But now Jack's outright asked, and he's finally not overseas, and really, he wants to see Jack again.

 

Plus, when he'd mentioned it to Bozer, Bozer's immediate response had been to start scripting a travel vlog series about Jurassic World and booking them both tickets. Because Bozer is Mac's best friend, even when he's the  _ worst _ .

 

-

 

Jack is absolutely, one hundred percent,  _ not  _ fussing. It makes complete sense for him to tidy up his place a bit and fix up his clothes a little and pace around glaring at Riley- who he's been really trying to make amends with, and she kindly offered to wait at the docks with him for the ship Mac was arriving on- whenever she snickers at him.

 

' _ What _ ,' he insists, after sitting next to her on the bench, leg bouncing. She only laughs and shakes her head.

 

'Man, you have got it  _ bad _ . Just sayin'.'

 

Mac, meanwhile, is chewing on the inside of his cheek and fiddling with a paperclip -- he's not sure where it came from, or how there always seem to be paperclips in his vicinity, but he's not complaining -- as the ferry slows to a stop alongside the dock. He exhales.

 

"You're gonna do  _ fine _ , " Bozer assures him.  "You're the young, sexy ex-military bomb tech and he's a retired Delta who raises dinosaurs for a living -- the two of you are practically a romance novel waiting to happen."

 

"Shut up, Boze, I'm not nervous." He is  _ absolutely  _ nervous.

 

Jack manages to make himself stay seated- trying to look unperturbed and failing miserably- up until the ship starts to slow and drift gently into port, and then he's up and absolutely  _ not  _ running _ , Riley _ , down the steps leading from the plaza to the docks, a positively brilliant smile on his face. Riley follows, at her own pace, smirk practically a permanent part of her expression.

 

Mac can recognize Jack at a distance- which really shouldn't be so easy, given how long it's been and how terrible Jack's attempts at selfies always are- and he's suddenly grinning, too, waving over the railing of the ferry.  As soon as the ship docks, he's off like a shot, too. "Jack! Man, it's been forever."

 

'You haven't changed a  _ bit _ .' Jack looks delighted by it, beaming, and lapses for a moment just looking at him, when Riley clears her throat pointedly behind him. 'Oh! Right, yeah, Mac, this is Riley, she's a tech here. Riley, Mac.'

 

She smiles at him and offers her hand, along with an explanation. 'Jack dated my mom back in the day.'

 

'Why do you always tell people that??'

 

'Because otherwise they might think we're dating.'

 

Jack’s expression goes vaguely nauseous and he acquiesces, nodding.

 

Mac can't help but laugh at that, despite the fact that Riley's maybe five years younger than he himself is, and wonders what people must think of him and Jack.  _ Would _ think of him and Jack. All that said, he grins.  "Yeah, that would be awkward."

 

But Bozer has remained unnaturally quiet this whole time, and he's looking like he's doing his level best not to stare at Riley -- and absolutely failing. 

 

"You gonna introduce me or am I just gonna have to stand here like a lump of chopped meat?" He manages.

 

Mac elbows him, just a little. "Yeah, this is Bozer, he's been my best friend since middle school, and he's doing some kind of travel blog thing."

 

'Nice to meet you.' Jack shakes Bozer's hand, but it's fleeting, Bozer has moved on to Riley in the next breath, who tolerates it. She seems amused and vaguely interested, and Mac obviously trusts the guy, so Jack will let it slide, for now. Besides, it means he gets Mac all to himself.

 

'So, we got the rest of the day ahead of us, you wanna get settled first or take a look around or?'

 

Mac hopes Bozer doesn't make a fool of himself, but ultimately, he doesn't think he will. He grins at Jack. "Probably should put our bags where we're staying, but I won't say no to a tour."

 

Jack beams back at him and gestures toward the stairs. 'My jeep's right up there, a lot of the staff live in cabanas on the beach, myself included, but half of 'em are guest houses, rentals, y'know?,' he explains on the way up.

 

That rings a bell.  "Mind if I drop my stuff off with you?  Bozer did most of the planning and he's otherwise occupied."

 

'Sure thing.' Jack glances back to where Mac gestures and, sure enough, they aren't being followed. Riley and Bozer are still on the dock, chatting away. 'She'll get him sorted out,' he chuckles.

 

When they reach the jeep Jack opens Mac's door for him, hand briefly hovering at the small of his back to guide him in, and has to fight a hint of a flush when he realizes how much he's acting like this is a date.

 

It's cheesy, but when Jack touches him, it feels electric. He doesn't say anything, though, just smiles at him and climbs into the passenger seat.  "Nice ride.  Different from what we got used to, huh?"

 

'That's for sure, it may be park issued, but man,' Jack chuckles and shakes his head. 'They really put some work into these, custom from the start to survive what we've got goin' on here. Tango got spooked by the headlight one time, tried to claw through the hood, she only scratched the paint.'

 

"Tango?" Mac says, a little teasing.  "I'm guessing she's got sisters named Whiskey and Foxtrot, then."

 

'Of course.' Jack grins over at him, clearly pleased. The park, in the interest of protecting its assets, has a ban on staff sharing any unapproved dinosaur related media. 'I'm awful excited to introduce you, it's been killin' me not to tell you about 'em.'

 

"I'm sure I'll get on great with them," he says, grinning just a little. He knows how much Jack loves these dinosaurs, and he's looking forward to meeting them.

 

Jack just  _ beams  _ at him, completely smitten, and doesn't even kill time taking the scenic route to the little thatched cabin he lives in, seperated from the main cluster of guest cabins. It's customized, clearly, a grill on the deck and a toolshed housing whatever he uses to tinker away on the jeep with, a flag hanging outside the front door. Jack grabs Mac's bags for him, regaling him on the way in with a story about the time he was grilling and knocked over his beer and lit the deck on fire. There's still the remnants of a scorch mark on the wood.

 

Mac can't stop smiling the whole way over.  God. Jack is pretty much just as Mac remembers him, but softer somehow.  Retirement looks good on him, he thinks.  "Sounds like you still manage to find the fire hazards without me," he teases.

 

'Yeah,' he sighs, grinning back at him. 'But it just ain't the same.'

 

Jack stores Mac's things on top of his dresser for now, before turning back to face him, and can actually feel his breath catch when he gets to properly stop and  _ see _ Mac, lit up by sunlight through the open window with the breeze ruffling his hair, just smiling at him. But Mac has no idea that Jack is seeing him lit like a fashion magazine, so he just keeps smiling. 

 

"Yeah, I guess not. Y'know, I think I get into less trouble when you're not around," he teases. "Maybe I wasn't the fire hazard after all."

 

Jack laughs and nods, shaking himself out of another embarrassing viewpoint. 'Y'know... considerin' the amount of trouble I get into, you might just be right,’ he admits.

 

"Well, either way, I'm still glad to be here."

 

'I'm glad you're here too.' His smile gets brighter, painfully honest, and Mac can’t keep a matching one off his face, before it sharpens into a grin.

 

"That's good, 'cause Bozer's booked us for two weeks, and it'd be awkward as hell if you weren't."

 

The laughter bursts out of him, loud and delighted, and jostles Jack into moving again. He gestures toward the door, swinging right back into Mac's gravity and hugging him with one arm on the way back to the Jeep, as much as he dares to. 'C'mon, let's get that tour started then. You've only got two weeks!'

 

Mac's stomach swoops when Jack pulls him to his side, after years without contact. "Yeah, that sounds good to me," he says, still grinning.

 

Jack squeezes him again before finally letting go to climb into the car, and ends up with his arm slung over the back of Mac's seat on the drive around to the enclosure section of the park, pointing out people and animals alike with an array of stories. 

 

'See that guy? With the green shirt?' Jack scoffs. 'Tried to sneak into the raptor pen when I wasn't around, get a close up- Delta nearly took his head off.'

 

"Delta's another one of your girls?" Mac asked, grinning.

 

'Mmhm, my second in command,' Jack explains, proud and cheery. 'Whiskey and Tango are the terrible twins, and Foxy's the baby.'

 

"Aw, does Foxy get spoiled?" Mac teases, if legitimately charmed.

 

'If by spoiled you mean she's a sneaky little brat, then yeah.' But Jack says it so fondly, it's clear he spoils her rotten, and Mac is oddly smitten by how soft Jack is for the raptors.  

 

"But she still hasn't mauled anyone, which is probably good enough, right?"

 

'Good enough 'round here,' he confirms, still grinning, but there’s a serious edge to his confirmation. 'I was the first face they saw when they hatched, an' with all the people involved in carin' for ‘em-  _ properly  _ this time, they got used to us.'

 

Mac grins.  "So you're basically their mom," he says, teasing a little.

 

'I am a  _ professional _ , thank you,' Jack answers, unable to deny Mac's point.

 

"A professional raptor mom," he continues teasing. "And there's nothing wrong with that."

 

'Hey, I-' Jack's laughing is interrupted by a loud screech from the other side of the fence they're driving next to, and he whips his head around to see a long, mottled one staring back at him from between the foliage, quickly jamming his foot on the brake.

 

'Foxy!' He opens his mouth to scold her for startling him when she screeches again, then ducks back into the bushes, only to pop out as soon as she realizes he's not giving chase.

 

'Foxtrot- Hey!' Jack points a finger at her sternly. 'I am not playing games with you, missy, you know better'n that. What if I got the daylights scared outta me and swerved right into that fence, huh?' He stares at her over his finger and she stares back for a few moments, before croaking softly at him.

 

'That's better,  _ thank you _ .' He makes a clicking noise with his mouth, then a gesture with his hand and whistles, and she jogs along the fence beside them up to the main gate.

 

During the exchange, Mac hides his chuckling behind his hand, and really, his face is gonna hurt from smiling this much.  "I think I see what you mean about her trying to be sneaky."

 

Jack chuckles and nods. 'She's all excited 'cause someone new's here, I'm sure.'

 

"That's sweet of her," Mac says, still grinning.  "I'll have to meet her properly, then."

 

Jack beams at him as he's parking the jeep, a little surprised and a lot enamored. 'Well, no time like the present?'

 

"Sure."  Mac smiles back at him.  It doesn't occur to him how this could be surprising -- these huge bird-lizard beasts from before the dawn of time are practically Jack's kids: of course he wants to meet them.

 

The smile on Jack’s face can't be wiped off if he tried, as he shows Mac around, points out all the security features on their way into what Jack jokingly refers to as the 'foyer'- a square space between the first gate and the only entrance to the pen, one wall covered in supplies, and the opposite comprised of temporary holding pens for the raptors. Jack snatches an overshirt off a hook on the supply wall and hands it to Mac, a bucket of frozen chunks of meat hung on his other arm. 

 

'Here, put this on. It's one of mine, the smell's gonna make 'em more comfortable 'round you.'

 

Mac slips the shirt over his own and tries to remind himself it's just so the raptors don't try to kill him on sight, not because he  _ belongs  _ in Jack's clothes.  He mostly succeeds. "Are those supposed to be treats?"

 

'We're supposed to call them 'behavior reinforcements', but yeah, they're treats.' Jack winks at him, and tries not to stare at the sight of Mac in his shirt like it's an everyday thing. 'Stay behind me first, alright?'

 

He whistles at the gate to the pen and almost instantly, heralded only by the rustle of leaves, four raptors trot out of the brush, just shy of being as tall as Jack. 

 

'Back up- Foxy, I mean it,' he tells them, waits for Foxtrot to actually do it too, before clicking the box in his other hand and punching in the code to unlock the gate, bumping it open out in the pen with his hip and plucking up a few frozen bits to toss them with his free hand, while Mac stays close behind him. He's still smiling, though with his mouth shut, not sure how the raptors might react to bared teeth. He really isn't surprised that  _ this  _ is the career Jack wound up in after their time in the desert, when it comes down to it.

 

'Yeah, I know, I got some rabbit today,' he chatters away happily, as four pairs of wide eyes bob and blink and stare at the bucket on his arm. 'I've got somebody new too, so ya'll better be on your best behavior- I'm lookin' at you two.' Jack points with two fingers at Whiskey and Tango, who chirp croakily at him in tandem, before he tosses out another round of treats. 

 

Once he's satisfied that they won't be dealing with any attitudes today, Jack turns his head to smile back at Mac, reaching out a hand to urge him to stand next to him, before it ends up hovering at his lower back again. 

 

'Now, if they give you any grief, just stay put, look at 'em right in the eye for a sec’ and then away a little ways, let 'em know you're not into runnin' around, but don't try to be the big man on campus, 'cause they don't know you well enough to know you aren't gonna be a threat neither. But, most of all, just stick close and don't make real sudden moves, and you'll be fine, alright?'

 

Mac internalizes the instructions, nodding, and makes brief eye contact with each of the raptors before turning his attention briefly back to Jack. "They seem nice enough," he says.

 

'Yeah, they're pretty good,' Jack confirms, proudly, makes another noise with his mouth and gestures at the only unintroduced, most patiently waiting, raptor, who approaches slowly until she can nudge his palm with her head. 'Attagirl, you wanna say hi, Delta?'

 

He clicks the box in his hand again, before stepping back just a touch with another gesture, to give Delta room to sniff Mac's shirt- which she does, while Jack keeps a hand on the small of his back. She makes loud, quick snorting noises, snuffling and gently bumping Mac's torso with her nose while she memorizes his scent, trilling softly when she gets her nose inside Jack's overshirt. Mac does his best not to seem nervous, letting her sort him out as he looks over at Jack, checking in with a glance and a careful smile.  

"Hi, Delta," he says to the raptor. "I'm Mac."

 

Once or twice Jack has to remind himself to stay focused on the raptors in front of him and not how utterly smitten he is with Mac, but that at least involves getting to stare at the scene before him. He strokes Mac's spine with his thumb, trying to be soothing.

 

'You can pet her if you want, up from the nose, just show 'er your hand first,' he explains, quiet and calm, so when Mac gets the chance, he holds his hand up in Delta's field of vision. 

 

"Hey, Delta, 's it okay if I pet you?" He asks while she sniffs it, because it seems like the thing to do. Then, carefully, he rubs her snout up from her nose to the slight ridge between her eyes near the crown of her head. She's rough, but not entirely scaly, and Delta trills softly, sniffing up his arm before pushing her head into his palm again, seeking the contact. Jack chuckles, overwhelmingly charmed, and runs his hand up and down Mac's back for a moment, without thought.

 

‘She likes you,' he murmurs, affectionate and impressed.

 

Mac huffs a tiny chuckle, trying to ignore the buzz up his spine at Jack’s touch.  "Guess she likes it when people are polite," he suggests, a little flushed and flattered.

 

'Mm, she's a pretty good judge of character,' Jack explains, beaming and watching Delta blow air up the sleeve of his overshirt when she snuffles at Mac's hand, before knocking into it with her forehead again. 'Doesn't matter how she meets somebody, she's always seems to figure 'em out real quick.'

 

Mac chuckles and keeps rubbing the raptor's head. "Well, that makes her a very clever girl, doesn't it?"  

 

He can't help but wonder what this life must be like -- an island paradise, filled with the most dangerous animals on earth -- and then, of course, there's the dinosaurs.

 

'That's why she's my second-in-command, huh, Delta?' 

 

Delta croaks a little in response, still nuzzling Mac's hand, but eyeing the bucket more often now that the pieces on top have begun melting. Mac chuckles, and keeps patting her, but the other three, he notes, also have their eyes on Jack, though Foxtrot keeps glancing over at him and Delta.

 

'You wanna give 'em somethin'?' Jack offers, holding the bucket up with a smile. 'I got gloves if you want some too.'

 

"I've definitely touched worse than frozen raw meat," Mac points out, and reaches into the bucket with his free hand.  "And I think Foxtrot might want some attention, too."

 

'I don't doubt it,' Jack chuckles and makes the same noise as before, gesturing her over. Foxtrot leaps rather than trots as soon as he does, skidding to a stop beside him and kicking up dust, knocking her nose into his hand with a series of small croaking noises. He's smiling wide, even as he scolds her for nearly toppling him over, finally, if a little reluctantly, removing his hand from Mac's back to scritch the top of her nose. Whiskey and Tango get treats first, for waiting, but they seem more interested in chattering and playing with each other than anything else. 

 

'Now hold on,' he murmurs, when Foxtrot croaks an almost whine, waiting for her own treat. Jack rubs her forehead again before tossing a treat up, laughing when she snaps it out of the air in an instant. He glances over at Mac and Delta often, but she seems content for now to focus on Mac and munch on the treats he tosses her.

 

Eventually Mac tries feeding her from his hands, which is the strangest thing -- it occurs to him that he's literally hand-feeding a full grown Jurassic World velociraptor, who seems happy to just nuzzle him in between. 

 

“That's a good girl, Delta," he tells her, and pats the side of her face gently before she turns her nose to get more head rubs. Even when Foxtrot starts gently headbutting Jack in the side, for paying more attention to them than her, he can’t keep the overjoyed expression off his face. 

 

'I can teach you a few things sometime, if you want, how to tell 'em to come over or wait, stuff like that,' Jack offers, while Foxtrot trills and pushes her head into the hand he's petting her with.

 

"I'd like that, sometime," Mac replies, smiling back at him. Delta bumps her face under his chin in the middle of it, rubbing her head down the front of his chest just a little before snagging the next piece of meat from him.

 

'Well alright then.' Jack looks pleased as punch, and Foxtrot enjoys the happy scritches that come with it. 'Yeah, you're a good girl, huh, Foxy? You wanna help me teach Mac how to handle you rascals?'

 

Whiskey and Tango both croak at that, one after the other, and Jack tosses them some more meat in apology, before they decide to trot back into the foliage, more interested in playing tag now that the bucket is running low. 

 

'Those two, I swear,' he chuckles, fondly. 'Takes a little longer for 'em to warm up, just 'cause they're more interested in each other.'

 

"Well, you did say they were twins," he agrees, and can’t stop smiling when Delta bumps him a little more firmly with her nose, so he scratches her brow-ridge as she swishes her tail a bit.

 

Jack opens his mouth to say something in reply, when Foxtrot whips her head out from under his hand to stare off into the distance, in the direction of the road. She darts off into the grass a second later, and Jack’s expression goes quietly serious in the same instant, gesturing for Mac to follow him back into the entry room. 

 

'Delta, back up- someone's comin'.'

 

Delta follows Foxtrot toward the fence, at a much more measured pace, after one last scritch, and Mac follows Jack in turn. “Is there not supposed to be?"

 

'Foxy only runs off lookin' like that if she recognizes the sound of what's comin', and it doesn't mean a friend. She can tell the difference between every vehicle on the island that's ever come 'round the pen, an' remembers who came with it.' 

 

Jack quickly drops the bucket in a freezer, but before they can lock up a sleek car slows to a smooth, quiet stop outside the pen, opening up to reveal a man in an equally sleek black suit. He doesn’t speak at first, so Jack shouts at him from the other side of the gate, with no small amount of suspicion, 'What d'you want, Murdoc?'

 

There was something vaguely familiar about the newcomer, Mac thinks, and figures he'd seen him somewhere before. He stays close to Jack regardless, and doesn’t say anything, yet.

 

"Mr. Dalton," Murdoc tuts.  "An outsider in the raptor pen?"

 

'Supervised visit, an' he's been cleared,' Jack grunts, standing with his hands low on his hips, one arm half covering Mac. Murdoc sneers a little, like he’s stepped in something, until his wary attention snaps from Jack to something behind him. Jack had heard them coming, but said nothing. He was long since used to the almost silent approach of his girls, especially when his own demeanor would've put them immediately on alert. Mac's growing unsettled too, but defers to Jack’s experience with the man, at least until Delta bumps his shoulder before getting between him and this… Murdoc.  The warning is clear, even if she doesn't make any noise or snap her big, velociraptor teeth.  

 

"Hey, Delta, it's okay," Mac murmurs, instinctively trying to draw her attention back to him.  "Do you want more scratches?"

 

Murdoc, on the other hand, maintains his composure, and it’s an effort for Jack to keep from reacting to Mac’s willingness to interact with the girls, but neither man is willing to give up an inch to the other. Delta looks to Jack, who looks back briefly, then backs up to Mac's side, still keeping her head and her claws between him and Murdoc. On the other side of him, Jack can hear Foxtrot behind him croak low in her throat, quiet, but clearly warning, and makes no move to silence her.

 

When Delta moved closer, Mac had started rubbing her head again, making sure he can keep in her line of sight. He doesn't know why she's acting like this, but apparently,  _ none  _ of the raptors like Murdoc much, and it’s Delta's clear decision to guard Mac that leads Jack to risk taking one step forward, crossing his arms over his chest. 

 

'Did you come here for a reason or just to agitate my raptors?'

 

Murdoc's sneer rises again, and he scoffs, and Foxtrot snaps at him, kept at bay by her sisters flanking her. 

 

'I came to inspect a tip that someone unauthorized had accessed the cage, but now I see it's just you being irresponsible.'

 

Delta rumbles threateningly under Mac's hands, but he lets her, because wow, this guy is kind of a dick.

 

'Thornton knows he's here,' Jack points out. 'So you can leave now.'

 

Murdoc pauses for a long moment, seemingly analyzing the risks, before he heads back to his car, flinging back a casual response before he leaves. “Well, if he gets his arm ripped off, it's on  _ your _ head, Dalton."

 

Jack only stares him down, all the way until the car is down the road and speeding out of sight, before he exhales and lets his arms drop. 

 

'I hate that guy,' he grumbles, but a grin begins to blossom on his face once he turns around, to see Delta firmly planted at Mac's side and the others behind them.

 

'You're awful good with 'em,' Jack points out, fond and impressed.

 

"She just likes me," Mac replies, smiling a little, flattered by the compliment.

 

'She does,' he confirms, but it's surprised 'Usually takes a little longer for her to get like this though, if at all.' 

 

Jack smiles warmly at Delta and pats her on the head, proud. 'You gonna protect Mac for me, Delta? While I chase off those bad guys? Who's a good girl?'

 

Delta alternates between bumping Jack's hand and nuzzling up to Mac, who actually kind of likes that idea, as silly as it sounds, here in what's basically paradise. 

 

Foxtrot whines plaintively in the background, far more dramatic than needed, but Jack only laughs and gestures them all over, and she happily hops over to get a sniff of Mac too, immediately stuffing her face under the back of Jack's overshirt and chirping away. Whiskey and Tango wander over too, ready for affection now, and Jack makes sure to pet them both at the same time, while Mac chuckles and gets one hand around to pet Foxtrot, feeling very loved by these enormous bird-lizards.  

 

"It's like I'm getting a group hug from prehistory," he says to Jack, laughing a little. "I think I see why you love 'em so much."

 

But Jack bursts into laughter, smile crinkling his eyes- and can't believe his luck, to have Mac here, taking to his girls so well, and so easily welcomed into his makeshift family. 

 

'I told you, Delta's a good judge of character, an' the others follow her lead on it. They know a good person when they see one.'

 

"Well, I'm glad I pass muster," Mac replies, grinning at him.

 

'Of course you would,' Jack insists, softer and absolutely certain. His smile goes just as soft, watching Mac wrapped up in his clothes with his hands full of content raptors, content and yearning himself. The ring of his phone breaks him out of it before Mac notices, thankfully, and he flicks it out of his back pocket to see Riley's face above the caller ID. 

 

'Hey, Ri', how's hangin' out with your new boyfriend?' Jack snickers at whatever she says, but doesn't seem disapproving or upset in the least, small, content expression a permanent fixture on his face when things between him and Riley are good. 

 

'Uh-huh. Yeah, sure, we're just out with th' raptors. You bet.' He pauses to laugh again, then asks, ‘Does Mac's buddy know we're gonna be taggin' along?' 

 

Her reply gets another laugh, before he says goodbye and hangs up, but keeps his phone out to snap a few pictures of Mac surrounded by his girls first, who laughs when Jack starts taking pictures, but doesn't mind.  

 

"Send me a couple of those, will you?" he asks, grinning. "I feel like my first dinosaur group hug is something I'm supposed to commemorate."

 

'I'm sendin' these to  _ everybody _ ,' Jack informs him, grinning back, and maybe makes the one where he catches Mac smiling at him his new wallpaper. 'An' speakin' of everybody, Riley's gonna show your friend Bozer around her part of the park, and she'd like us to come with, if you wanna keep this tour goin'?'

 

"Yeah, that sounds good to me- just not sure how to get the girls to let me leave," Mac adds, teasing. Foxtrot trills at him from around Mac's shoulder, the back of Jack's overshirt draped over her head, so Jack tucks his phone away and plucks a handful of treats out of the freezer. 

 

'Alright, everybody say bye to Mac, we'll be back soon enough.' 

 

None of the raptors move so he sighs, not even trying to hide his grin, and whistles, making a gesture at the open gate to the pen. That gets them moving, four heads popping up at the noise before trotting back into the pen as asked. Jack holds out the last of the meat to Mac once they're all in. 'Wanna give 'em some partin' gifts?'

 

"Yeah, sure," he chuckles, taking the meat from Jack and tossing some back toward Foxtrot, who is delighted to be fed first, but the others wait patiently for their turns as well, while Jack looks on with no small amount of joy.

  
Soon enough, the girls are all fed, and Mac smiles back at him, so Jack leads him to the sink where they can wash up after locking the gate, and doesn't ask for his shirt back, kind of hoping Mac will forget too. Mac, of course, doesn't forget, but Jack doesn't ask for the shirt back, so he doesn't say anything about it.


	2. Plan B

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to note that I know approximately zero things about dinosaur birth but assume everyone at least washes their hands and whatnot

In the jeep, Jack's arm ends up slung over the back of Mac's seat again, and he can't stop glancing over at him, a happy reminder that this is all happening every time.

 

'I can't believe how quick they took to you,' he says after a while, a little reverent, and wonders if his girls can tell, in their own way, how much he loves Mac. 'It was amazing.'

 

Mac glances over, looking pleasantly surprised. 'Well, I'm glad they did, it would've been kind of awkward if they hadn't- not to mention dangerous.'

 

'Aw, I knew they would,' Jack reassures him, squeezing his shoulder briefly. 'But you, you were really good with 'em, and they don't tend to bond quick with strangers.’

 

'Well, like I said in there, I'm glad I pass muster.'

 

'Yeah, you really did.' Jack reinforces that with one more smile before focusing on the road, as they make their way into the populated area of the park's inner workings.

 

-

 

Riley flags them down outside the entrance to a large, concrete structure, low and wide, a cross between a nice office building and a military base. Jack waves back, speaking up again to Mac after he’s parked.

 

'You wanna see the labs too? Pretty fascinatin' stuff, right up your alley,' he asks, already excited.

 

'Yeah, that sounds like fun,' Mac says, genuinely enthusiastic- he knows enough to get to excited about seeing whatever it is they’re working on behind the scenes. 'And Riley does computers here, right?'

 

'I wouldn't say it to her face like that, but yeah,' Jack chuckles, half hugging Mac with his arm again, overjoyed to finally get to share everything with him.

 

Mac leans into the hold, chuckling too. 'I'll keep that in mind.'

 

From the top of the steps, Riley rolls her eyes, fondly exasperated, while the two of them are busy getting lost in each other on their way across the parking lot. She turns her head to glance at Bozer. 'Does Mac act like a lovesick puppy when they're separated too?

 

Bozer grins, nodding. 'Yup, and he was totally nervous on the boat.'  He knocks her elbow a little with his. 'I'm guessing Jack's just like that?'

 

She scoffs, grinning in return. 'He would not stop pacing up until like, two minutes before you got here. Even cleaned up his place, and he usually only does that if his mom comes to visit.'

 

'Impressive. Well, hopefully they get their act together before our two weeks are up,' Bozer points out.  'But in the meantime, if you need a break...'

 

'I'll keep you in mind.' She shoots him a knowing look, if an amused one, and pats him on the shoulder before walking forward to meet the others.

 

'Who's ready to watch Jack pretend he knows anything about electronics?' she declares, holding out a visitor clearance badge for Mac, matching the one around Bozer's neck.

 

'Oh, this should be fun.' Mac smirks over at Jack as he pulls the visitor badge on.

 

'Wh- you weren't saying that when I helped you move your couch last week!'  Jack calls at her back while she leads the way inside, but he can't _not_ grin back at Mac a little, even after he's so clearly been betrayed.

 

Riley and Jack bicker a little more on the way in, leading them to the control room, so Bozer takes the opportunity to fall back and nudge Mac, eyebrows raised pointedly. 'So? How'd meeting the family go?'

 

'The raptors are great. I think Delta likes me the most, Jack has pictures.'  Mac smiles a little, remembering, and shrugs. 'At least, I think it went well.’

 

'So, there was nothing to be worried about, and I was right, as usual. Basically,’ Bozer replies, checking off points on his fingers.

 

'Basically,' he agrees, nodding and trying to look properly admonished.

 

'Mm-hm.' Bozer nods, then gives him another pointed look. 'So when are you going to _say_ something?'

 

'...I don't know.  I don't know if I should, or if he'd be interested, or anything,’ Mac replies, mouth twisting, and keeps his voice low.

 

Bozer nearly stops walking, but settles for leveling Mac with his best 'are you seriously serious' face.

 

'What?' Mac asks. 'You know I'm terrible at reading people!'

 

'Oh I know you are. You are my best friend and I love you, but you are oblivious right now, and even if I was too, which I'm not, Riley sure has a-' Bozer stops short when he looks up and realizes they've arrived, both Riley and Jack eyeing him with their arms crossed.

 

'I sure have a _what_?' She probes, eyebrow raised, and Bozer decides to go with the truth, mostly.

 

'A _ton_ of stories about Jack. What was the one you told me earlier? With the toaster?'

 

Riley rolls her eyes and starts walking to her desk, Bozer right behind her, filling up the atmosphere with friendly chatter. But Jack hangs back to check in with Mac, who tries to smile reassuringly at him and ignore Bozer's last comment, before he covered with an admittedly poor lie. There’s a moment of silence, before Mac speaks up with the chance to change the subject.

 

'Did you blow up a toaster?' He asks, mock innocently.

 

'I did not blow up a toaster!' Jack exclaims, indignant, but laughing. 'I _accidentally_ caught a poptart on fire, trying to make it in a toaster, and then tossed the toaster in the sand outside my window ‘cause it was the safest way to put out the fire.'

 

Mac had burst out laughing too, but still manages to be teasing. 'So you _did_ learn something from hanging out with me.'

 

'Exactly!'

 

'So it's your fault he threw a bucket of sand all over my new shoes?' A new voice pipes up, and a chair spins at a nearby desk to reveal its owner, a blonde woman in jeans and an old band t-shirt from before her time, staring at Mac with an intensity that doesn’t match the teasingly accusing tone of her voice. Jack wags a finger at her.

 

'Hey now, if you would put out that cigarette in an ashtray like everybody else, I wouldn't've had to dump sand on it!'

 

'I was stamping it out!'

 

'Next to a bush!'

 

Mac had frozen the moment he recognized her, struck silent while they bicker. _Nikki_ .  Shit. _Shit_. Okay, he could handle this. He had to.

 

Nikki puts her hands up in surrender, rolling her eyes and shaking her head, but grins directly at Mac, and it doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

 

'Should've known.'

 

There’s a pause, where Jack has the sudden, distinct feeling that he's missing a key piece of the puzzle, when Mac fills in the blanks for him, kind of.

 

'Hey Nikki. Been a while.'

 

'Do you two... know each other?' Jack pries carefully, glancing between the two of them for an explanation, but Nikki’s grin only twists a little.

 

'-Yeah, I'll say,' Bozer cuts in sharply, appearing at Mac’s side after almost running across the room, and Mac exhales hard through his nose.

 

'We used to date,' Mac adds, and Jack gets it, immediately, shooing away the part of him that’s happy to infer from Bozer's response that Mac no longer has feelings for her.

 

'No kiddin'! Well, small world, even out here, huh?' He laughs a little with an air of finality, and settles a hand on Mac's lower back, looking to help him out of the situation. Bozer leaves his post as Mac’s other bookend, after Mac gives him the okay with a nod, and Jack starts to lead him back out of the control room.

 

'Now, I promised you science-y chemistry stuff, so- dino nursery?'

 

'Yeah, Dino nursery sounds good to me,' Mac agrees readily, trying to shake off being unnerved by Nikki's presence here and not look like it, and Jack makes an effort to exude positivity just by smiling at him. He’s kind of relieved when Bozer chooses silently to hang back with Riley, leaving him to focus on Mac as he walks him out.

 

Mac grins at Jack and maybe hangs a little more in Jack's space, it's easier than thinking about Nikki, after all, and Mac being happier just brightens Jack's smile. He keeps his hand on his back, leading him out and down the hall.

 

'Is this gonna make you uncomfortable?' Jack murmurs, once they're out of earshot. 'Her bein' here? 'Cause we don't have to come back.'

 

'She's just an ex,' Mac says.  'It shouldn't be a big deal.'

 

'Shouldn't or isn't?' Jack asks, but gently. He's only worked with Nikki in the last year, but enough to get to know her a bit, and he works with her fine enough, but never felt like hanging out with her or putting his life in her hands.

 

'Look, it didn't end well, and I sort of thought she was out of my life for good, so seeing her again is weird.'

 

'Alright,' he murmurs, nodding, lets it go for now, and makes a note to steer Mac around her if he can.

 

They approach the lab and Jack rubs his hand across his back, quick and trying to comfort, before letting go. He waves at someone in a lab coat, a tall woman with veins of grey in her hair, tight, natural curls cut close to her head, who waves back and lets them in, and the bright, excited smile is back on his face again, practically giddy.

 

'Hey! Doc, hey, this is Mac- Mac, this is Dr. Gideon Williams, she runs the nursery-'

 

'So _this_ is Mac.' Dr. Williams smirks a little, and Jack fights to not go a little red or shoot her a look. He may or may not have gushed many times over to her about him- she was a close, trusted friend, and her advice was always the same, just _say_ something about it.

 

'Yeah!' Jack replies, a little too loudly, but even that can't put a damper on his excitement. 'I told you, he's a science whiz, an' the girls love him, so I wanted to bring him by.'

 

'Yeah, Jack introduced me to his raptors just before,' Mac says, smiling a little.  'Nice to meet you, Dr. Williams.'

 

'It's nice to finally meet you as well,' she replies, genuinely, and gestures for them to follow. 'Jack talks very highly of you.'

 

'I appreciate that,' Mac says, tossing Jack a charmed smile without really thinking about it, and he follows her.

 

Jack is only beginning to bemoan Dr. William's interference when Mac smiles at him, and his face just lights up, beaming back at him.

 

'We're working on more miniature herbivores right now,' Dr. Williams explains, leading them to a vast glass wall separating the labs from the colloquially called 'nursery', where, in the main room, several trainers are working with five triceratops the size of miniature ponies.

 

'Dr. Williams was in charge of my girls while they were eggs, second face they ever saw,' Jack explains, pointing to a wide, fake nest full of giant eggs under heat lamps across the room.

 

'Cool,' Mac says.  'The little triceratopses look happy.'  All of the dinosaurs he's seen so far have, really, but Mac finds it hard to imagine Jack willingly working somewhere animals were mistreated.

 

'D'you wanna see 'em?' Jack offers, after Dr. Williams is called back to work, leaving them with a warm goodbye.

 

'Yeah, sure, if that's okay.'  Mac smiles, glancing back at him.

 

'Course it is!' Jack gestures at one of the trainers in the room, who gives him a thumbs up, before leading Mac into the room.

 

'Hey guys, this is Mac, I brought him 'round to see the nursery- Mac, this is Angela, Kwame, and Micky, they work with all the new hatches.'

 

The trio greets him warmly, and Micky offers to show him how to help the new triceratops get used to being hand fed, while the other two give Jack identical knowing looks the moment Mac's back is turned.

 

Mac crouches down and acts as instructed, carefully. The little ones are like kittens, almost, warm and affectionate and a little stumbling, and a little nibbly. 'Are the herbivores friendlier than carnivores?'

 

'More like they might move slower, less prominent teeth and claws, so it's easier for people to feel comfortable around them, and that makes it easier for them to feel comfortable around people,' Micky explains, scratching one that's come to nap against their leg and yawn.

 

Meanwhile, Jack is trying to enjoy watching Mac feed leaves and pellets to a small, cuddly triceratops, but his fellow trainers are more interested in carrying on a silent conversation with him entirely through dramatic looks, much of which amounts to more badgering about asking Mac out. Mac, who gently pets the triceratopses until he's all out of food to feed them. But, privately, he thinks he likes Jack's girls just a little bit more.

 

One of them tries to nibble on his shirt before Micky intervenes and Jack can't help but chuckle, he's so enamored he doesn't even notice Angela whipping her phone out and snapping a picture of him looking like lovestruck teenager. Eventually, the litter of miniature dinosaurs are tuckered out, and Jack's coworkers start herding them together into another room for a nap, leaving Jack smiling at Mac, leaning against a half wall with his hands in his pockets.

 

'How'd you like 'em?'

 

'They're cute.  Not as cute as your girls, but still cute,' Mac adds.

 

Jack's smile gets impossible fond, as he sways to knock his shoulder gently into Mac's. 'Well when'd you get t'be such a charmer, huh?'

 

'I'm just being honest,' Mac says, knocking back just as gently.

 

'Hey, that's the way t' my heart right there, cars, hamburgers, and my girls.' Jack grins and pats his chest over his heart, chuckling, and omits the fact that Mac is also on that list.

 

'You're pretty easily satisfied, then,' he teases, just a little bit, and grins back.

 

Jack shrugs, expression gone a little bashful. 'Aw, you know me, I don't need much.'

 

'It's sweet,' he says.  'And you've got everything you need here, right?'

 

'Yeah, well-' Jack shrugs again, tilting his head toward the door before turning to lead Mac out. 'Now I do.'

 

That makes Mac's stomach flip over, just a little, in a good way, and he thinks, maybe, Bozer might be on to something? '...I'm glad I came to visit, you know.'

 

‘Yeah? I'm real glad you came too,' Jack replies, turns to smile at him outside the nursery. 'I missed you.'

 

'I missed you too,' Mac says, smiling at him in return.  'Y'know, it's nice to see you somewhere where we're not coated in dust.'

 

A laughs bubbles up and Jack nods in agreement. 'Yeah, yeah it is- and it's been a while.'

 

'Yeah,' Mac agrees.  'Sorry it's taken me so long.'

 

Jack shrugs it off, an open book in his happiness. 'You had a contract, an' I know you ain't the biggest fan of bein' isolated. Just happy you're here.'

 

'I'm glad to be here, too,' Mac replies, meaning it. And he's honestly thinking that maybe, just maybe, he should ask Riley if the park needs someone with his skillset. Just to see.

 

Jack’s smile widens, and he opens his mouth to say something when Dr. Williams tears around the corner looking for him, flushed and excited. 'Jack-! The new raptor, it's hatching early!'

 

Even concerned, there's a spark of excitement in Jack's eyes too when he turns to Mac and grabs his hand. 'The egg was supposed to be a surprise, but- surprise! C'mon!' He tugs Mac with him, following Dr. Williams into the nest room, where two other nursery techs are waiting, entranced by one of the eggs in the nest, swaying a little under the heat lamp. Mac watches carefully as the egg tilts, showing hairline fractures running across its shell.  

 

'Wow,' he breathes.  'How long does this usually take, for one of the raptors?'

 

'Five to ten minutes, give or take,' Jack murmurs, leaning over to speak right next to Mac's ear, practically buzzing with excitement now.

 

'She's been at it for a few now,' Dr. Williams adds, glancing between the egg and the tablet in her hand.

 

'Once the shell cracks, then it won't take long, but we try to help 'em as little as possible. She's a little premature though, so that's somethin' to watch.' Jack rambles a little while they watch, more to Mac than anyone else, and eventually his hand finds its way to Mac's back again, or rather, his hip this time, pressed close to murmur quietly. Mac nods, eyes still on the little raptor as she pushes at the shell. Everyone waits in tense silence, and a few more minutes pass quickly, all of a sudden it cracks, and he inhales sharply. A smile practically splits Jack's face in half, drawing his hand away from Mac to nudge away errant bits of shell.

 

'Hey, baby girl,’ he whispers. ‘Welcome to the world.’

 

Mac sticks close to Jack, not wanting to distract from the moment, but Dr. Williams and the other techs step back for now, to ensure that Jack is the first face the new raptor sees. He keeps Mac close though, hoping to get the opportunity to show him how he cared for his girls when they were born. Jack coos at the new baby softly, pushing away broken off bits of shell still hanging on by the membrane, and when she yawns with a tiny croak he can't help but chuckle quietly. 'Look at you, just couldn't wait to come out an' play, huh?'

 

Mac stays at Jack's shoulder, and honestly, the way Jack interacts with the baby raptor is -- it blows his mind a little, how sweet it is. How good of a father Jack might be, if he had human kids.

 

Tiny eyes blink open and Jack wipes some membrane from her face, and Dr. Williams asks quietly from the other side of the nest, 'What did you want to name her?'

 

His smile gets just a little shy, and Jack barely has to turn his head to murmur at Mac, 'Actually, I was kinda hopin' you'd help me name her?'

 

Mac's eyes widen just a little at the soft offer.  'I'd love to,' he murmurs back.  'Maybe... keep the alphabet theme, call her Charlie?'

 

'Charlie. I love it.' Jack's expression could light up the room, and he turns his smile to the new raptor, gently stroking her head with one finger. 'Hey Charlie, how's that sound?'

 

Mac feels warm and unbearably fond, watching Jack with the raptor, the raptor that he named. Jeez, that's really something, isn't it? 'I think she'll love you whatever you call her.'

 

'Yeah, but I love it 'cause you picked it,' Jacm murmurs back, matter-of-factly, still watching Charlie with a warm smile. She tips the egg over to crawl out of it, so Jack pulls a blanket out from beneath the nest, kevlar weave sandwiched between soft canvas. He cleans her off a bit with his fingers, then holds it out and lets her crawl into it before swaddling her up and holding her against his chest, murmuring comfortingly at her throughout the process.

 

'She's adorable,' Mac murmurs, smiling so wide it hurts.

 

'Cute as a bug, ain't she?' Jack beams up at him, before going back to cooing soothingly at Charlie while one of the techs checks her vitals.

 

'Yeah.' And Jack's adorable too, as he takes care of her. 'Did all your girls start this small?'

 

'Yup, every one of 'em. Just born one after the other.' He chuckles, petting her nose. 'Foxy's gonna be awful pushy once she realizes she's not the baby anymore.'

 

'Well, you'll let her know you still love her,' Mac points out, just so enamored by Jack's little dinosaur family. Jack just smiles wide at him, a little surprised still by Mac's easy acceptance of everything.

 

'Can I pet her?' Mac asks, uncertain. 'Or is it better for just you to do that for now?'

 

'Oh no, course you can pet her.' Jack angles himself toward Mac once the tech is done, Charlie cradled in his arms and half-dozing now that she's no longer being poked and measured. Gently, Mac strokes the raptor's brow ridge with one finger. 'Hey pretty girl,' he murmurs. 'You've had a long day, huh?'

 

Charlie yawns, and Jack's smile is unbearably affectionate. Dr. Williams chooses to take a picture then, to go with the four others of Jack holding newborn raptors, on their wall of births.

 

Mac doesn’t even notice, too enamored with the infant dinosaur. 'I'm really glad I got to be here for this.'

 

'I was really hopin' you would be,' Jack admits quietly, while Mac keeps petting Charlie, who has definitely started to fall asleep now, and he smiles.

 

'I'm really greatful you want me around for this kind of thing.'

 

'Course I do.' Jack smiles back at him, soft and a little surprised. 'Why wouldn't I?'

 

'I don't know, it just...feels nice.'

 

Jack’s smile widens, just smitten, and he nods. ''S nice havin' you here. Really nice.'

 

Charlie falls asleep under Mac's hand and Jack can't stop smiling at them, so when Dr. Williams clears her throat gently he starts a little, before chuckling, embarrassed.

 

'C'mere Charlie, time to go with Grandma. I'll be back real soon.' Dr. Williams huffs and rolls her eyes, but takes the baby raptor in her arms away with a smile, after they pet her goodbye. Jack is always reluctant to let them go so soon, but there’s no one other than Dr. Williams he’d trust with one of his girls

 

'Dr. Williams is second in command around here, under the Doctor, but- he's a little more science than nurture, so Dr. Williams handles everything after the eggs are grown, and the trainers- that's why we all call her 'Grandma'. She pretends to hate it,' Jack explains, chuckling. 'She's takin' Charlie to a kinda incubator, so she can nap and adjust and, if you want, I'd love t' have you here when I feed 'er too.'

 

'I'd love to,' Mac decides, already excited by the prospect.

 

'Well alright.' Jack grins back, before leading Mac out of the labs, at a slower, more casual pace, just enjoying sharing the same physical orbit, and thinking about Charlie. Mac is quiet too, but thinking about similar things. This whole thing is...it's crazy, but in the best way. And Mac had underestimated how much he'd missed Jack, big time.

 

'So, what now? Got your own personal tour guide, so it's your call,' Jack asks, nudging him a little with a grin.

 

'I don't know, you're the one who lives here,' Mac says, nudging back.

 

'Exactly! I see this stuff all the time, what'd you wanna see?'

 

'Okay, okay,’ Mac chuckles. ‘I've heard interesting things about the mosasaur?'

 

'Momo! Yeah, me an' Mimi've been on good terms ever since we found out we're both from Texas, I'm sure she'd let you take a peek behind the scenes.' Jack perks up with something to do, to show Mac, and intentionally turns them down the hall toward a different entrance than the one they used to get to the control room.

 

'Momo?' Mac asks, amused. 'Is that her name?'

 

'Yep, Mimi and Momo, and it was a complete coincidence,' Jack chuckles, explaining more as they pile back into the jeep and head out toward the pool.

 

-

 

Momo the mosasaur is in the middle of being fed when they pull up, and Jack leads Mac into the stadium just in time to catch the leftover spray from her latest jump and splash. '...That, uh, that happens sometimes, by the way.'

 

'No big deal, it's fine.'  Mac laughs, shrugging.  'But man, she's big.'

 

'You're tellin' me,' Jack chuckles, then reaches over to swipe some water away from falling in Mac's eye with his thumb. '-There. Mimi oughta be out in a minute, we'll flag 'er down then.'

 

'Alright, sounds good,' he says, still smiling, watching Momo’s shadowy form twist in the deep water. Jack smiles back, honestly relieved that they hadn't been drenched by the full wave.

 

'In th' meantime, wanna head downstairs to the tank window? You can watch 'er swim around now.'

 

'Yeah, let's do that,' Mac agrees readily. 'She's probably having a good time with her lunch, though, huh?'

 

Jack shakes his head, laughing. and leads them down. 'You would not believe how much meat gets trucked out here to feed her. There’s plans to fish more locally, to cut back on costs and time. Momo's got a bottomless pit in there, I swear,' he says, but even this is fond.

 

'Well, she's a big girl, she's got a lot of caloric needs.'

 

Jack laughs, beaming. 'Mimi is just gonna love you. Alright- close your eyes, I'll walk you in.' He moves to stand behind Mac, just around the corner from the observation room, holding his arms just above the elbows with steady, gentle hands, while Mac closes his eyes and lets Jack direct him. He stands a little closer than necessary, yeah, but really does just want to make this fun for Mac, murmuring in his ear once he's walked him to just in front of the window taking up the entire wall, a glimpse into the tank.

 

‘Okay, open up.'

 

Mac opens his eyes, and gasps, just a little.  Momo's not just big, she's _immense_ , and Mac is a little in awe.  'Wow.'

 

'Yeah,' Jack agrees, before he's all eyes for Mac again, content.

 

'I don't think I quite understood how big she would be,' Mac admits.

 

'Most people don't,' he replies. 'It's different, readin' that she's bigger than the biggest whale the world's got, and seein' 'er in person.'

 

'Yeah, that's true.'  Mac shifts a little, trying to get a better look.  'You're right, she must need a ton of meat.'

 

'Mmhm.' Jack chuckles a little. ' Technically , she ain't a 'dinosaur', scientifically speakin', but nobody minds. We still love 'er.'

 

'Of course.'  Mac grins at Jack.  'I'm sure she loves you too.'

 

It's almost too much, how much he adores Mac, and every time he takes him by surprise in such a sweet way, it gets a little worse. Jack laughs, smiling wide enough to strain at his cheeks, and teases, 'You better not let Mimi catch you talkin' like that, she'll try t' recuit you.'

 

'That might not be so bad,' Mac says, chuckling, watching Momo swirl with excited eyes.  'I mean, I'm sorta between jobs and all.'

 

'...Yeah?' Jack tries not to get too excited at the prospect, but it's there, clear on his face. 'I mean, for real? 'Cause, you absolutely could.'

 

'Yeah, for real.'  He smiles at Jack. 'I… I think I’d to stick around, if you don't mind.'

 

'If I- are you kiddin'?' Jack laughs, positively ecstatic, catching Mac by the arms again. 'I'd love it!'

 

Jack's joy is infectious, and Mac can only laugh a little and blush.  'Okay, then you'll have to tell me who to talk to.'

 

'Oh, Thornton's gonna love you, no problem-' Jack can't help but laugh again, his excitement finding an outlet whether he likes it or not.

 

'Sounds good to me,' Mac replies, laughing too.

 

'Yeah, yeah, we should- wait- somethin’ ain’t right…’ His expression pinches a little in concern, watching Momo twisting sharply around in her tank for a few moments, before gesturing quickly for Mac to follow him, and heads back up the stairs to the stadium floor. A few shreds of meat remain on the Momo's feeding hook, and it's likely the cause of her minor agitation.

 

'...Mimi hasn't cleaned up yet,' Jack murmurs, frowning, scanning the stadium in hopes of spotting her. 'She's never been late to clean up, drives Momo up a wall if there's still meat around.'

 

'That's weird,' Mac agrees. 'Should we see if she's okay?'

 

'Yeah...' Jack positions himself between Mac and the seats- the entrances- on the walk around the rest of the stadium to the control room beneath the observation deck, old habits from their military days catching up fast.

 

'Watch your step, gets real slimy with the water.'

 

'Yeah, got it,' Mac says, noticing Jack's fall back into their old habits. It's really something that makes him feel concerned- and a little warm, even though it's unnecessary.

 

Jack keys his code into the control room door and heads in first- but there's nothing wrong. He isn't entirely sure what he was expecting, but surely something out of place. Instead, there's just no Mimi. One glance out of the window facing the tank tells him Momo is still stalking the remnants of her meal though, and running the risk of catching the meat hook in her mouth if she jumps high enough to get it, so Jack takes care of that first at the controls beneath the window.

 

'I don't get it,' he murmurs, partly to himself, frowning out at the stadium, before pulling his phone out of his pocket and pressing the radio button on the side. 'Hey, has anybody seen Mimi? I'm in tank ops, had to clean up Momo's lunch before she caught herself on it.'

 

Jack studies the room while he waits for an answer, but nothing is out of place. His phone squawks to life soon after he asks, a chorus of negatives from across the park, and his frown gets deeper. Someone offers to send a tech over to cover her and he agrees, before tucking his phone away and turning to Mac.

 

'Well, guess you're gonna meet the boss sooner rather than later.' He tries to make it sound like a good thing, but is clearly concerned.

 

Mac can hear the worry in Jack's voice, and asks outright, 'Is there anywhere Mimi might have gone?'

 

'People'll duck out for a smoke break, stuff like that, but Mimi- she's devoted to Momo, she would not risk her gettin' hurt like that just to stretch her legs or take a call.' But he flashes Mac a grateful smile, before leading them back out to his jeep.

 

'All right, so that's a little worrying,' Mac admits, and Jack hums his agreement, silent otherwise on the drive back to the main office compound. It occurs to him then, that Mac is here on vacation, and he should probably ask whether or not he wants to get involved. He waits until they're in the hallway leading to the control room, where Jack can drop him off with Riley- who will hopefully lead him out just as quickly, away from Nikki- if Mac wants to stay.

 

'Hey, you don't have to tag along if you don't wanna- I mean, if you wanna hang out with Bozer and Riley instead while I take care of this.'

 

'Nah, it's fine, unless you'd rather...?' Mac doesn't want to intrude, after all.

 

'No, no, I-' Jack has to reign himself in a little, with a small, but genuine smile. 'I like havin' you around.'

 

'Okay, good. Lead on, then.' He smiles back, just as genuine.

 

Okay,' Jack murmurs, knocking himself back into focus with that finality, and heads straight for Thornton's office. He barely knocks before entering, already stepping inside when she says, 'Come in.'

 

Her expression is already annoyed, ready to be stern, when Jack blurts out, 'D'you know where Mimi is?'

 

'No. Why?' Her frown is all business, but concerned business. She’s not unfamiliar with that tone of voice, and when Jack gets serious that means something is serious.

 

'She left Momo's meat hook out after lunch, she's not at the tank, and nobody's seen 'er.'

 

Thornton's frown gets deeper, and she pulls up security camera feeds to take a look. After a few minutes inspection, her expression is only more worried than before.

 

'...She left the tank an hour ago and headed for outer fence, on foot, in her wetsuit-'

 

'-Expecting to come back,' Jack assumed, clearly on edge with this new revelation.

 

'Presumably. There's still no sign of her on the tank feed.' It only takes Thornton a moment to make a decision. 'I'll send a rescue unit,' she declares, picking up her phone, then gestures at Mac. 'And after that, you can tell me who this is.'

 

Mac waves, a little awkwardly, quiet while Jack and his boss handle the situation. Once Thornton is done she folds her hands on her desk and stares at them, expectantly. Jack steps up and flashes the first smile he's had since he walked in, settling a hand on Mac's lower back and gesturing to him with the other, at once trying to be stabilizing and maybe showing him off more than a bit. 'This is Mac, you made me jump through all those hoops to get him cleared to see the raptors-'

 

'I remember.'

 

'Yeah! So, I took him to see Momo, and that's when we couldn't find Mimi. Also, ah, speakin' of, y'know, background checks and all that-' Jack flashes her a smile that tries to be winning and knows it's failing, but still maybe manages to be endearing. Her expression is unchanged. 'You already did half the stuff needed to clear him to work here too.'

 

'Jack basically kept me alive during our time in the Middle East.  I was a bomb tech.'  Mac doesn't really know how to be charming, but the smile on his face is genuine, for all that it's also caused by Jack's hand on his back.

 

'I heard,' Thornton replies, and Jack goes a little red. Bragging about Mac is practically beyond a hobby at this point, if you asked his coworkers. He clears his throat and charges on anyway. 'That was his official designation anyway, I mean, I'm sure you saw all the skills he's got-'

 

'You would've told me at length if I hadn't, I'm sure.'

 

'-And, I mean, look at this place, if there's anywhere that needs somebody with a wide variety of rough an' tumble skills, it's us, right?'

 

Thornton hums, a flat low sound that does not invite further discussion, and falls silent for a few moments, before turning her stare to Mac. 'And why would you want to work here specifically, Mr. Macgyver?'

 

Mac does his best to seem unconcerned by her lack of emotion. 'I'll admit that Jack being here is a pretty big reason. We work well together and I like it. But seeing him with the raptors today opened my eyes to how fulfilling this kind of work could be. And this is a brand new field, I think it would be fascinating to be a part of it.'

 

Jack's smile could not possibly be more touched, and Thornton doesn't miss it, even though she never averts her eyes from Mac's. 'And what sort of work would be interested in doing?'

 

'Well, I don't have any experience with the dinosaurs, but I'm a pretty decent engineer.  And a chemist. And a little physics, too. ...But I don't really have a degree in anything.'

 

The barest hint of a smirk flashes across Thornton's face before her expression settles again.

 

'I see. Well, considering Jack insisted I run you through the background check usually reserved for potential employees-' Jack definitely goes red, caught between embarrassment, excitement, and a little bit of betrayal. '-Aside from the necessary paperwork, discussion of an official position, and medical clearance… I feel that I can confidently offer you a job, if you'd like one.'

 

Mac chuckles for a moment when Jack blushes.  'I would. I'm between jobs right now, and right now, I can't think of a better place to be.'

 

Jack can not hold it in any longer and he actually whoops, hauling Mac up in a massive hug and laughing. Mac hugs back, a little surprised by the extent of Jack's reaction, but warmed by it all the same. _He wants to keep me_ , he winds up thinking, and tries not to show it in his expression.

 

Eventually Jack has to let go, but his hands only get as far as hanging onto Mac's arm, urging him out of the room after Thornton dismisses them. 'Oh man, Riley is gonna flip when she hears, we gotta tell everybody- Thanks Patti!' He calls back right before they're out the door, and Thornton rolls her eyes, with a hint of fondness. 'I'll bring 'im back for paperwork, call me when you catch up with Mimi!'

 

Mac just grins and lets Jack drag him away, but pulling Mac along by the elbow feels kind of awkward, so Jack lets his hand slide down to his wrist, and by the time they get back to the control room- where Riley has patiently sat (worked) through an hour of Bozer talking special effects with another tech, ecstatic to teach her too- they're kind of sort of holding hands.

 

Jack bursts in with an ecstatic, 'Hey, guess what!'

 

Bozer swings around. 'You guys eloped?' he asks, hopeful.

 

'-What? No-' Jack's face is flushed red again, stumbling over his words before righting himself. 'Patti offered Mac a job, here!'

 

'And I'm planning on taking it, if all goes well,' Mac adds, a little bit flushed himself.

 

Bozer's jaw drops.  'No way!'

 

'Yeah way!' Jack echoes, gesturing excitedly with hands, which is when he realizes he still has Mac's clutched in his, and finally lets go- but not before giving him a small squeeze.

 

'Hey, welcome to the team,' Riley congratulates him, smiling sincerely, and approaches to give him a quick hug. 'It'll be nice to actually see you in action instead of having to listen to this guy brag about you all day.' She jerks her thumb at Jack, smirking.

 

'Yeah, I'll try not to make a liar out of him,' he says to Riley, as Bozer comes over and somehow manages to both clap him on shoulder with congratulations and a sense of 'you gotta tell him,' and really, Mac knows he's right, but he doesn't want to think about it right now.

 

Working at the park doesn't just come with a job, but a home as well, and Jack's excited all over again, asking Riley to pull up all the available spots, and Bozer follows, insisting on adding his opinion as Mac's official best friend. They all expect Mac to be right behind them, but a voice- too quiet for them to pick up- from over his shoulder speaks up.

 

'I guess I should welcome you to the team too then, huh?'

 

Mac spins around, because oh right. Nikki.

 

'Uh, thanks.'

 

'Didn't think you'd even consider it, actually. Jack was kind of hoping you would if he could get Director Thornton to offer,' she explains, shrugging, hands in the pockets of her jacket, but she doesn't look upset by the news.

 

'Well, I'm between gigs, and I like everything Jack's shown me so far.' Mac explains, shrugging one shoulder.

 

'Yeah.' Nikki stops short, like there's something else she wants to say, but also really doesn't.

 

'I guess I figured you wouldn't wanna see me again,' she says instead, and it's sad, but sort of hopeful.

 

'Nik, it's been over a year. We ended bad, but I've moved on.' In fact, he'd totally forgotten she was here, in all the excitement.  And of course, there was Jack and dinosaurs to distract him.

 

'-Yeah,' she echoes, nodding, and stares at Jack's shirt on Mac, a little wistfully, before adding, 'I can see.'

 

They lapse into an uncomfortable silence after that, before someone calls Mac’s name, and he gratefully nods goodbye to join the others.

 

'Okay, so what are my options?'

 

'Well, there's the residence building nearby, like an apartment building, and then there's cabins, like Jack's,' Riley explains, and Bozer turns suddenly to hug him, the fact that they wouldn't be living together anymore appearing to just now hit him. He pats Mac on the back before pulling away.

 

'I'm gonna miss you, man, you better come visit.'

 

'I will, I will,' Mac assures him, but hugs back. Bozer is his best friend, and yeah, it would be weird and kind of suck not to be roommates anymore, but at least this time they could visit, unlike during Mac’s deployment.

 

'And, uh, I liked the cabins I saw earlier.'

 

Jack fights himself to not just spontaneously invite Mac to live with him, and is about to suggest the cabin closest to his instead when his phone rings.

 

'...It's Patti,' he reads the caller ID out loud, confused why she wouldn't just use the radio, but picks up anyway.

 

'We found Mimi,' she says first thing, and Jack knows immediately why she chose to call.

 

'She's been shot.'

 

 


End file.
